Rail-support



(No Model.)

P. W. SNOW.

RAIL SUPPORT.

No. 338,796. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

-ivlf 6 UNITED STATES PATENT 'Erica FRED V. SNOV, OF HILLBURN, NEW' YORK.

RAIL-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,796, dated March 30, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED XV. SNOW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hillburn, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inv Rail-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to supports for the rails of railways; and it consists in a construction and arrangement of such support-s, substantially as hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of a rail and supports. Fig. 2 is a plan of the plate; Figs. 3 and 4, plans of the abutment-block, illustrating modifications; Figs. 5 and 7, plans showing modifications of the plate; Figs. Gand 9, inverted plans showing modifications of the abutment-block. Fig. S is a sect-ion on the line l 2, Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a side view of the abutment-block. Fig. 1l is a section illustrating the mode of placing the rail in position.

A represents the sleeper, and B one of the rails, which maybe the rail of a switch or one of the rails ofthe main track, and C is a plate upon which the rail B rests, which plate may extend along the sleeper only for a sufficient distance to support the switch-plate a, (which is secured to the plate C and the latter to the sleeper by a spike, 1),) or the plate C may extend completely across the track and beneath both rails, and the switch-plate c may either be a separate detachable plate, as described, or it may be an elevated portion of the main plate C. In either case a shoulder, x, is presented as a bearing for the inner edge of the flange ofthe rail.

To laterally support the rail, prevent it tilting or spreading under the weight of the cars, and also to hold it in place upon the plate C and sleeper, I use a detachable abutment consisting of a block, D, having a flattened portion, d, perforated for the passage of one or more spikes,V and fitting the top of the plate C, and a raised portion, e, the inner edge of which conforms to the outer face of the web and outer flange of the rail and extends to the upper side of the head thereof. The raised portion e may be strengthened by a single central rib, z', as shown in Fig. 3, or by two edge ribs, v3 i, as shown in Fig. 4, or in any other suitable manner; and one or more pro- (No model.)

jections, s, at the under side of the abutmentblock are adapted to one or more corresponding recesses, y, in the plate C. YVhen the block is in place, the projection or projections s extend into the corresponding recesses of the plate C. The lower flange of the rail has its bearing against the shoulder a: and against the abutment-block, and the inner edge of the latter fits closely the corresponding face of the rail, which is thus rigidly supported in position, so that the rails .will have no tendency to spread apart in consequence of any loosening of the fastening-bolts, inasmuch as all lateral pressure from within the rail is resisted by the bearing of the projections s against the outer edges of the recesses y, the bolt or bolts serving as means of holding each abutmentblock in its position upon the plate C and not being subjected to lateral strain, It will also be seen that the tendency of the rail to tilt will be resisted by the raised portion of the abutment-block, and in order to prevent such block from being lifted by strains tending to tilt the rail each projection s may have one edge beveled, and the edge of the corresponding recess may be similarly beveled or undercut, so that the abutment-block cannot be lifted without first moving` it toward the rail, which cannot result when the pressure is being applied to force the rail outward.

The various parts above described may be varied in construction without departing from the main features of my invention.

Thus in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4 the abutmentblock is shown as provided with a single projection, s, oblong in shape, and with an outer beveled edge. In Figs. 5 and 6 the abutmentblock has round lugs or projections s, adapted to corresponding openings in the plate C. In Figs. 7 to 9 the abutment-block has two rectangular projections, s, one at each side, and the plate C has corresponding side notches, y, the projections s having beveled edges corresponding to beveled edges of the plate C.

In Figs. l to 4 I have shown the parts constructed to secure the block D by a single spike passing through corresponding openings, l d, in the plate G and block; but I prefer to provide the plate with three openings, a central opening, d', and two side notches, cl3, and a block, D, Wit-h a corresponding opening, d', and side notches, d?.

The projections smay be at anyportion ofE the block, I. prefer, however, to arrange them1 as close as possible to the inner edge,w, which bears against the edge of the rail-flange, thereby securing the positive bearing at a point as close as possible to the edge of the rail and correspondingly increasing the stability.

It is of course necessary that the notches or recesses y shall be somewhat longer than the corresponding projections, s, when the faces are beveled, as shown in Figs. 1, 10, and 11. This requires a slight inward movement of the block as it is applied in position, and then an outward motion to bring the beveled edges in contact, leaving just sufficient room between the edges wx for the reception of the lilange of the rail. This, however, will not prevent the rail from being closely fitted in place, as the block D may be'slightly tilted and the rail B correspondingly tilted, as shown i'n- Figfll, until the inner edge of the flange escapes the shoulder x, when the parts will be carried downward to position andwill fit closely without any play.

Iam aware that cast-metal shoe'blocks having a solid abutment on one side and a mov able abutment fitting into a recess and held in place by a-pin are old; but my invention di'ers therefrom in that I usela flat switch-plate forming a support for the main and sliding switch-rail, land I apply an abutment to the outside of the main rail, which is held securely in place by the projections interlocking' with the recesses in said switchplate, leaving room for the switch-rail to be moved to and from the main rail unimpeded. Such a shoe as I have disclaimed could not be used for the purpose for which mine is used, nor is the construction the same.

I have shown the switch-plate a. as elevated slightly above the level of that part of the plate upon which the outside rail rests,which might necessitate the cutting away of the switch-rail to cause it to coincide with the outside rail; but this construction is not essential. The switch-plate would vary in length accordto constitute a bearing for the main and the switch rails, and an abutment-block adapted to fit the side of the main rail and having one or-more projections at the under side extend- .ing into the same, but not belowy the plate,and

corresponding to the recesses y, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the rail B, plate C, having recesses adjacent to the outer edge of the rail, and block D, fitted' to the plate and side of therail and provided with projections adaptedto said recesses, and having extended bearing portion d, substantially asset'forth.

3. The flat switch-plate G, forming a bear ingfor the main and switch rails, having one or more openings withbeveled-edges,in combinationwith the main rail and with a block` adapted to the plate and main rail andhaving proj ectionsat its underfside,with beveled edges extending below the bottom ofthe block intothe opening, and having a bearing upon the outer. side ofthe opening, substantially as.

described.

4. The combination of the plate C, having recesses y, and openings or notches for the passage of spikes, and the abutment-block D, adapted to fit the outer side of the rail, having one or more projections correspondingto` y the recesses y; and with spike lopenings or notches corresponding to those in the p1ate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Ilhave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED W. SNOW. Vitnesses: v

W. C. DUVALL,

WM. S. SAYERs. 

